It was because of Peter Costello’s consistent budget surpluses that we have a Future Fund.

What we’ve had from this government is consistent budget deficits.

Peter Costello gave us consistent budget surpluses averaging one per cent a year of GDP. This government has given us the four biggest deficits in Australian history.

I can think of no better person than Peter Costello to manage taxpayers’ money."

5.00pm: A brief parable of a "better" person.

Who is the best man for the job.

Depends who you ask really.

Treasurer Wayne Swan on Melbourne radio this morning.

FAINE: Why didn’t you want Peter Costello when he was thought to be the better person?

TREASURER: No, no sorry; he wasn’t thought to be the better person.

FAINE: Well, some people thought he was.

TREASURER: Well, I’m sure some people thought he was the better candidate but certainly the Government didn’t think he was a better candidate and I think the overwhelming view of the business community would be that Mr Gonski is the better candidate.

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott’s disallowance motion that would enable logging companies to claim renewable energy certificates on waste woodchips burned to produce electricity was pushed back by some filibustering by Mr Oakeshott (yes, he was into it too); and the Coalition.

Mr Oakeshott, (even though it was his proposal), wasn't keen to have a vote on the disallowance today.

The motion is likely to come up again next week.

The Greens, who are ardently against the motion, (arguing it goes back on part of the clean energy package to which Mr Oakeshott signed up), seem to be confident the numbers are there to shoot it down.

4.15pm: Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has now hit the airwaves to ensure Australians didn't miss Indonesia's significant problems with the Coalition's "turn back the boats policy."

The Indonesian Foreign Minister said earlier today policies that aim make unlawful boat arrivals someone else's problem (ie: if Australia turns back refugee boats to Indonesia as the Coalition proposes to do) are not helpful.

Not workable. The only way forward is regional cooperation.

This was quite a strong statement from Indonesia.

Mr Bowen is telling Sky News: "The Coalition should accept that policy is dead."

(NB: This entry is corrected from the original post. I thought it was the Speaker who had objected to the expression in the din of today's Question Time, and that was my first report. Apologies Pulsers.)

(Good grief a second correction! The horror. The story has broken now, 3.40pm, that Jonathan Green has resigned as the editor of The Drum. He's moving to Radio National. In fact he's already there, I spoke to him last Sunday. All the best Jonathan.)

3.10pm: On being sashimi-ed.

David Gonski.

3.05pm: Speaker Slipper insists that Mr Abbott withdraw disorderly terms like lying if he wants to remain in the House.

Mr Abbott digs in at first.

Speaker Slipper stands his ground.

Then Mr Abbott withdraws.

3.01pm: A ringside observation from The Sydney Morning Herald'sPhillip Coorey.

The Prime Minister meanwhile is being asked about bus prices, and kids catching buses under the carbon tax.

Hollering ensues.

2.15pm: And the moment of tranquility ends abruptly.

Back to the carbon price.

Mr Abbott opens with the negative impact on retailers.

Prime Minister Gillard says stories in the tabloids this morning concerning the precise point Mr Abbott is making about shop leases are based on a false premise.

"This clause has been in leases for several years,"Ms Gillard says.

Ms Gillard says Mr Abbott would be better giving small business a tax cut.

"He's too busy doing what Clive Palmer tells him to instead."

Mr Abbott regroups and comes back with a supplemetary.

Does the Prime Minister regret misleading people when she said only 500 businesses would pay the tax, and there would be no carbon tax under the government she led.

Ms Gillard says that's basically the number of businesses that will be impacted.

"No amount of shouting in Question Time" will change that.

2.05pm: Prime Minister Julia Gillard opens with a tribute to former National Senator Douglas Scott, who has died, aged 91.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott rises to support Ms Gillard's words, and hands over to Warren Truss, leader of the Nationals.

"Solid, fair-minded and decent," Mr Truss says of the late Douglas Scott.

1.55pm: Question Time coming.

Gather Pulsers.

Feel the excitement.

1.45pm: Coming to a Facebook account near you.

1.25pm: Some senior Coalition staff have rolled over the ring tones on their smart phones.

It used to be Prime Minister Julia Gillard's infamous utterance: "There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead."

They have now moved on to the equally infamous "we are us" moment from the ALP national conference.

(Do you recall that ALP conference speech where Ms Gillard said of her party, then brimming with internal leadership tensions and personality conflicts, "we are us?")

The passage of time hasn't made that line any better unfortunately.

Now when phones ring, this is the ringtone in the Prime Minister's distinctive timbre.

"We follow it simply because we are us."

Pranksters.

1.10pm: That nice Bob Brown.

Too polite to crow.

(Not.)

Back to nuclear subs, and that botched motion we spoke of in the 10.55am entry, for a minute.

Here's a statement from Senator Brown:

"Labor and the Coalition's about-turn on their support for nuclear submarines is a welcome acknowledgment that they made a mistake yesterday in a Senate vote, Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown said today.

Labor and the Coalition yesterday voted against Senator Brown's motion: That the Senate reject the proposal, backed by the former Minister for Defence, Mr Peter Reith, for Australia to purchase nuclear submarines serviced in the United States of America (US) or at a US base established in Australia.

But today the government asked for the vote to be recommitted and both parties accepted the motion.

"What a difference a day makes," Senator Brown said.

"Australia's stance should remain strongly against nuclear power and nuclear military hardware, and that includes housing nuclear vessels from other countries in our ports."

Andrew Carr from the Australian National University, however, is not so stoked.

He thinks the proposal required serious consideration.

Good to see the ALP voted to consider buying nuclear submarines from Washington. A shame if, as @murpharoo says, it was in error.

12.50pm: I'm conscious I haven't had a chance to get across another major story doing the rounds today, a stoush over leadership of the Future Fund.

Former Liberal Treasurer Peter Costello has been snubbed by the government who appointed him to his current gig at the Future Fund.

Fortunately our business correspondent Clancy Yeates has stepped into the breach.

Here's Clancy's snippet bringing us up to speed:

The stoush over Labor’s decision to overlook Peter Costello as head of the Future Fund is escalating today.

It’s now emerged that Cabinet ignored the Fund’s board members, who thought Costello was the right man for the job.

Mr Costello is already one of the Fund’s directors, after being appointed by Kevin Rudd.

Making things more complicated, the person who passed on the board’s endorsement of Costello to the Government was no other than new chairman, David Gonski, after being retained to sound out the directors.

The Coalition says Costello was overlooked for petty political reasons, but Finance Minister Penny Wong insists Costello just wasn’t right for the job.

Here's a little snap The Sydney Morning Herald sketch writer Jacqueline Maley sent of kids waiting for the Prime Minister this morning.

Jacquie said the Prime Minister prompted hysteria among the school kids.

"Here is a bunch of them expectantly waiting. Julia Gillard is doing a walk around and they are all jostling to have photos with her. No doubt being uploaded to Facebook as we speak."

12.41pm: Why am I the shortest man at this podium?

Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

(Thanks to Andrew Meares)

12.40pm: Over to you Marty.

Do you mind if I call you Marty?

(Text me.)

12.30pm: On live exports. Is Indonesia going to wind back live cattle exports?

Minister Natalegawa says politely "lessons have been learned" from "the previous episode."

Was the containment of China discussed?

No, says Bob Carr.

Minister Natalegawa is more nuanced.

He says regional architecture was part of the discussion. He says there is a general wish on the part of our countries that the region remain benign. We should not create conditions threatening the outlook.

But Indonesia has always believed that conditions are best served where there is an absence of dominant power in the region.

12.25pm: A question from Australia on Mr Abbott's policy of turning back the boats.

Minister Natalegawa says boat people are a regional problem.

Everyone needs to pull their weight.

"Naturally it would be impossible and not advisable to shift the problem from one end of the continuum to the other.

"We must be presenting collectively, not partially, as part of the solution."

12.20pm: The Indonesian journalists ask about US Marines in the Northern Territory.

"There is a belief it could create tension and mistrust in the region."

Senator Carr says there won't be tension.

"We had an enormously useful discussion about using the US presence to coordinate humanitarian relief,"Senator Carr says.

Minister Natalegawa says the Indonesians initially queried the US deployment.

But it's ok now.

"If there were some questions initially, those questions have been provided answers for."

12.15pm: Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro notes he is the shortest man at the podium.

12.10pm: Minister Marty Natalegawa says this morning has been time well spent.

The Australia-Indonesia relationship is "strong, solid, and critically important."

But there's plenty of room for improvement.

"I am looking for more opportunities for enhancement of our very positive relations."

He congratulates Bob Carr on his appointment.

Minister Natalegawa says he's looking for a personal bond, like with "Kevin, and Stephen (Smith) before."

12.05pm: Now here is Bob Carr, quoting Paul Keating, at his press conference with the Indonesians.

We've talked security, regional cooperation, Senator Carr says.

"We already work together in substantial ways,"Bob Le Carr(e) says.

(Sorry. I'll stop now.)

"Today we shared ideas about how to make the relationship stronger."

11.50am: It's worth putting Mr Palmer's argument on the record too.

Here he is last night, with the ABC'sChris Uhlmann.

[The quick summary of Mr Palmer's position: I can't tell you what our legal argument is, because I'm not a lawyer. We will challenge the carbon tax because it is a "joke."]

CHRIS UHLMANN:On what grounds is it unconstitutional?

CLIVE PALMER:Well the grounds are set out in legal advice and they'll be coming in the High Court. I can't answer that question 'cause I'm not an lawyer. I can only go on the advice that I'm given, and so we'll be looking forward to the challenge.

CHRIS UHLMANN:I thought you were a reasonably good bush lawyer. You've been - you started in a prosecutor's office, didn't you? You must understand the argument.

CLIVE PALMER:No, I didn't. No, never worked in a prosecutor's - no, I never worked in a prosecutor's office, but we think it's unconstitutional. You can't really tax carbon. The other thing about it of course is it's a joke because the air moves right around the world. If you tax something in Australia, those initiatives will go offshore, those jobs will go offshore and the same amount of carbon will be emitted in the atmosphere. What we need is a global approach to the taxing of carbon or the regulating of carbon, regulating of industry. We don't want something that discriminates against Australian industry and Australian workers.

11.45am: Meanwhile, back at the Rudds.

I'm on @theprojecttv tonight. Thinking about pinching a souvenir from the set. Tips?

11.40am: Just for the record, here's what Mr Abbott said on 2UE earlier today about Mr Palmer's threatened legal challenge to the clean energy package.

JASON MORRISON: Are there constitutional problems with it? Have you flagged this?

TONY ABBOTT: It’s a very interesting question, Jason.

I certainly think that there are some constitutional issues.

Normally, the Commonwealth can’t tax the states, for instance, and this is going to be a tax that’s paid by the state governments and its instrumentalities.

So, I think there are some constitutional issues.

Whether they’re sufficient to raise a constitutional challenge is really up to people who have got standing and the obvious people to challenge the thing would be the state governments and let’s wait and see what happens.

11.15am: Schools Minister Peter Garrett was meant to be out with the Prime Minister this morning, but was not granted a pair.

He's had to take to Twitter to get his grab out.

More schools in the ACT to have greater decion-making powers under our Empowering Local Schools plan, announced by@JuliaGillard today

10.40am: The Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann, is aware The Pulse is a constituent with access to a mechanism for live publishing.

Ms Brodtmann has just called by to enlist me in an effort to push back against a campaign from the Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh.

Mr Leigh believes the northern suburbs of Canberra are the best. Ms Brodtmann begs to differ.

You are sensing merchandise aren't you?

A t-shirt?

You are right.

(We have to agree.)

Although the north side of Canberra rocks too.

We don't take sides in playground fights.

10.30am: One of the things I plan to do regularly on The Pulse, now we are up and running, is put a spotlight on Canberra's army of lobbyists.

I imagine many Pulse readers are curious about who these people are, and who they represent.

I'll start this morning with The Endeavour Consulting Group.

Pictured below left to right are Mark Baker, Jeff Townsend and Paul Chamberlin.

Mr Baker and Mr Chamberlin have worked in Parliament House for the Coalition: Mr Baker for John Howard and Mr Chamberlin for John Anderson and Warren Truss.

Mr Townsend worked for Bob Hawke and John Dawkins.

Some lobyying firms line up strongly with one side of politics, others make sure there are productive links across the divide.

Here are their current clients according to the register of lobbyists maintained by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Australian Orthopaedic Association

City West Property Holdings Pty Ltd

National Public Affairs Group

Rio Tinto Ltd

Christmas Island Phosphates

Energy Resources Australia Ltd

Incitec Pivot Pty Ltd

American Express International Incorporated

Northern Land Council

The Shell Company of Australia Ltd

Seven Network

Ure Chan Group

University of Canberra

Vivid Wireless

Rio Tinto Alcan

Vinta Group

Pindo Deli

Solaris

Vodafone Hutchison

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

Clubs NSW

Clubs Australia

Village Building Company

Dixon Advisory and Superannuation Services Ltd

Lion National Foods

Leighton Properties

Hospira

Eclectic bunch.

9.55am: Flushed from the success of a Twitter forum recently on his swingeing essay in The Monthly about wealth and influence in national politics, Treasurer Wayne Swan is taking questions from readers this morning on news.com.au, staring in five minutes.

"Australia's top climate advisory panel has warned strongly against letting the recent mild and wet weather encourage complacency about climate change, insisting the long-term trend remains as alarming as ever.

Following yesterday's CSIRO report that warned greenhouse gas levels were the highest in 800,000 years, the Climate Commission - a scientific agency set up to inform Australians about global warming - expressed concern in a discussion paper that people were confusing weather patterns with long-term climate change.

The climate commissioner and Australian National University academic Will Steffen said 2011 had been dominated by La Nina, the weather effects produced by cool ocean surface temperatures around the equator in the eastern Pacific.

''After a couple of years, the dams are full, everything is green around you, the soil moisture is topped up,'' Professor Steffen said.

''And you say, 'This is looking pretty good. What happened to all the droughts and dry periods that we thought were associated with climate change? That's a very common perception you hear. But these things are superimposed on a longer, underlying trend.''

9.40am: Opposition leader Tony Abbott is making haste to Calvary John James Private Hospital in Deakin for his event this morning.

"Well we are sure that we are on very strong grounds in the clean energy package in the way in which it was legislated."

"It relies upon a number of powers under the Constitution including the corporations power and the external affairs power, so I think this is just another foray by Mr Palmer who has got more money than sense really."

14 comments

I agree with Gillard. Cliver Palmer does tell Abbott what to do and say.

Gina pays for flights for Libs and Nats to travel to India for a wedding.

Can someone look up what other "benefits" individual Libs and Nats have received from mining magnets?

Commenter

ccb

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 11:18AM

As time goes on more people are realising that Tony Abbott is pigheaded and flaky. He is pigheaded in his approach to politics - it seems to be his way or the highway. He doesn't really care for positive outcomes unless he is in power. This is evident in his approach to the tax cuts that effect his constituency - business, yet he is prepared to provide middle class welfare in the form of his paid parental leave by taxing big business because he needs to reshape his image for women.

He is flaky on the economy - he has no idea, nor does it appear that his team of Rob and Hockey have any idea. Cutting $70 billion from the economy is only going to leads to a slower economy. There is absolutely no vision by the LNP just as there was no vision by John Howard and Peter Costello. I'm waiting for someone to tell me what they did in their time in office other than a GST an Alice Springs to Darwin railway and workchoices - they wasted a booming economy on middle class welfare and created a structural deficit. They were also the highest taxing govt as a percentage of GDP. At least Labor has a vision for the future, the NBN, carbon tax leading to an ETS that will encourage alternative energy and more efficiency, spending on schools, hospitals and infrastructure.

Where is Tony Abbott's or the LNP's vision?

Commenter

n720ute

Location

North Coast NSW

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 12:29PM

Tony Abbott and the Liberal party are vociferous and pointing their accusing fingers at Julia Gillard for breaking her promise for no Carbon tax is interesting. Tony Abbott and the coalition partner's election promise of 1.5 per cent company tax reduction have now metamorphosis into moderate reduction of company tax. Even though he and the coalition partners are not occupying the treasury benches, wouldn't also be an election promise? Tony Abbott's holier-than-thou attitude is laughable that when he breaks an election promise, it is holier and when Gillard breaks her election promise, it is unholier. It is the nature of the political beast to break promises, flip-flop and zigzag. Remember, Howard's ironclad pre-election promises metamorphosis into core and non-core after winning the election. What humbug!

Commenter

Kattooparambil

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 11:19AM

Katharine, first of all: love your blog, great job.I have 2 Questions, can you or someone else help me out here:1) What is TA trying to achieve by suspending standing orders? He has tried it more than 40 times so it must be pretty important to him.Having to count the votes for it almost every session comes across as a complete waste of time.2) Why would Garrett (and someone else yesterday) not be granted a pair? Is this just a way to irritate the other party or can it be justified? Thanks

Commenter

Bob Berwick

Location

Berwick

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 11:36AM

BobMy take is:1. TA wants the 'uninformed' public to think parliament is dysfunctional - most people only see QT sound bites via media context. It is actually very disappointing to see him do this, as QT is already a bit of a waste without this charade; and it does give him a look like he is sulking - still!2. TA wants the PM to be in our face and not her MPs as she is more unpopular (and, more unkindly, he is just being a prig not granting a pair because he can be).I get the impression the overall strategy is to continue with hammering what a debacle this govt is to keep people turned off until the next election. After all, we wouldn't want an 'informed' electorate, now would we?

Commenter

Julia

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 12:05PM

Isn't Clive Palmer's Carbon Tax challenge at the High Court a futile exercise? Shouldn't the validity of the Carbon Tax have been challenged before it was passed by the parliament? Under the Separation of Power's principle, the judiciary can't get involved in a cavalier fashion in the legislatures' right to pass laws and the executive's' right to implement them. Clive Palmer is playing into the hands of Wayne Swan- his criticism- of Clive Palmer and his ilk-the wealthy mining magnates- are using their wealth to influence public policies- is justified.

Commenter

Kattooparambil

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 11:47AM

Palmer is just grandstanding, but for the record the High Court will not deal with hypothetical cases. Nobody can bring a case to the High unless there is something to challenge.

Commenter

Johnno

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 1:05PM

So... a 'Greens informant' gave you the details of motion a'la Greens v Coalition yesterday? (that you reported on at 5pm) Would seem the understanding of the Senate process is lacking in their 'informants' as much as it is their party proper... May want to peruse the Senate Hansard and notice paper for yesterday (if you are interested in how it actually went down)

Commenter

Not the 'Greens informant'

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 12:20PM

The problem for Mr. Swan is that even a person disliked as much as Clive Palmer is winning the argument about carbon tax - because he is on the right side on the argument. The carbon tax is so, so stupid. It was promoted at the time when the world was awash with extra cash. However, Australia is the only country in the world imposing such huge burden on our economy, at the time when we should provide any possible economic assistance to our struggling economy. One would need to be extremely blind or naive to believe that our carbon tax will make ANY difference to the global warming or the environment. What we have is a stubborn government being a hostage to loony greens who would rather destroy our economy to remain in power. How can we ever forgive such reckless government. I vote Labor all my life. Not this time Mr. Swan

Commenter

Paula Simson

Location

Flemington

Date and time

March 15, 2012, 12:30PM

Please look up Wikipedia for the countries who have implemented or are implementing Carbon Tax Laws.

The main countries opposing any initiative are those who are the biggest producers of carbon. And in Aus of course by the opposition and mining industry.

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